The Unicorn Clan
“One cannot capture the wind.” A thousand years ago, the Ki-Rin Clan rode out of Rokugan, seeking to discover enemies hiding beyond the Emerald Empire’s borders. Their journey was arduous, and they found many strange and powerful threats. In defeating each one, the clan learned, changing its fighting styles, magical practices, and even philosophy. To survive, it was forced to adapt—and overcome. After eight centuries of wandering, the Clan of the Wind returned to the Empire as the Unicorn Clan. Their hordes entered Rokugan through the Shadowlands, punching a hole through Crab defenses and making their way past the Kaiu Wall into the heart of the Empire itself. They wear fur, speak foreign tongues, and wield strange weapons. Although they still revere the Kami Shinjo, they have drifted far from the traditions and ways of the Emerald Empire. Whereas other clans beseech the elemental kami for their blessings, the Unicorn command the kami in a form of sorcery known as meishōdō, or “name magic.” Shugenja of other clans see these practices as barbaric at best or heretical at worst.Legend of the Five Rings - The Card Game - Learn to Play, page 26 Shinjo’s descendants are known for their skill as riders, skirmishers, and messengers, and many are trained in foreign fighting techniques or schools of philosophy. People expect them to be worldly and gregarious, if perhaps a bit rough around the edges in polite Rokugani society, given that many members of the clan spend much of their lives ranging across the wilds in Unicorn lands and beyond.Legend of the Five Rings 5th Edition, page 48 The Unicorn Clan Families The Ide Family The Ide tirelessly serve as diplomats, couriers, and merchants across Rokugan. While they are Unicorn through and through, the Ide have learned to blend their foreign customs with the traditions of the Empire to better treat with their cousins. The Ide work to radiate calm and competence, seeking to build alliances and friendships throughout the Empire.Legend of the Five Rings 5th Edition, page 55 The Iuchi Family The Iuchi are a priestly family, whose practices stretch back to the time before the Unicorn returned to Rokugan. Iuchi shugenja practice a unique form of sorcery known as meishōdō, the art of using talismans and names to manipulate the spirits. Their history makes them more open to exploring different mystical paths than are those bound by centuries of tradition. The Moto Family The Moto are considered to be the least civilized of the Unicorn families by the standards of the Empire. From their stocky builds and the heavy beards of their men, to their style of dress, the Moto seem foreign and strange to Rokugani samurai. Indeed, the Moto have no use for the soft trappings of what some call civilization; they are nomadic warriors seeking the next battle, and they embrace that harsh life. While their heritage and culture are often questioned in Rokugan, their bravery is not. The Shinjo Family The Shinjo are the core of the Unicorn, the clan of explorers who followed their Kami, Shinjo, into the dangerous world beyond the Empire. This love of discovery has not left the Shinjo, and they travel widely when they can. They administrate and lead the Unicorn, working to keep all of the parts of the clan yoked together. Master equestrians and scouts, the Shinjo pursue peace, but never flinch from the prospect of war. The Utaku Family No other Unicorn family has so deeply and spiritually embraced Bushidō as the Utaku, who embody it in their elite Battle Maidens, the Shiotome. The matriarchal Utaku allow only their women to ride to war; the Utaku men serve afoot as infantry and in the stables and households, making them unusual among their own clan. There is no finer heavy cavalry in the Empire than the Battle Maidens, and no finer equerries than Utaku men. The Unicorn Clan Schools The following is a list of the Unicorn Clan Schools released so far in the 5th edition of the Legend of 5 Rings RPG. * Ide Trader School Courtier * Iuchi Meishōdō Master School Artisan * Moto Conqueror School Bushi * Shinjo Outrider School Courtier * Utaku Battle Maiden School Bushi Category:The Great Clans